2008 Subaru Legacy, Outback 2.0D

Feisty boxer diesel a first for a passenger car.

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Another advantage of the boxer design: less vibration and noise. Subaru says it has achieved moving sound levels of 70.5 decibels, claiming that is lower than the 72 decibels of a Rolls-Royce Phantom. On a coastal drive in Málaga, Spain, in both the Subaru Legacy and Outback wagons, we concur that little engine noise invades the cabin (which has extra soundproofing) while driving. But we did find the diesel disconcertingly loud at idle.

The lower center of gravity (the design allows the engine to sit lower in the vehicle) does enhance cornering and agility, minimizing body roll on some barely there roads as we twisted our way through the mountains. Aiding the cause are electric power steering and a retuned front suspension.

The wagons we drove had about 150 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque to draw from. The torque sweet spot most certainly is in the midrange, from 1800 to 3600 rpm, with not as much at the top as we would have liked for highway passing, but we admit it was easy to forget this was a four-cylinder—we might have been expecting too much, especially at high altitudes. We wondered if a sixth gear were needed (the Legacy and Outback go on sale in Europe in March with a five-speed manual), only to find out one already is in the works and European models should be so equipped by year's end.

Gearing Could Use Some Work

Second and third gears got a workout on our drive in Spain, and fortunately, the shifts were smooth up and down as we worked to make the most of the 2.0-liter's output. Subaru says gear ratios were altered for the diesel to handle higher torque at low speeds. We found second to be set too high, forcing a downshift to first to avoid stalling at slow speeds in second—there's no skipping first for a rolling start in these vehicles. Subaru says the altered ratios are also for improved fuel efficiency. We can't argue with an engine that has no telltale diesel odor and is rated to get almost 50 mpg in combined city and highway driving.

All in all, we applaud Subaru's effort and welcome the entry of a new powertrain into our driving circle. Prices start at $29,500 for the 2008 diesel Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer and $31,700 for the Outback. We will have to see if Europeans, who are spoiled by the best diesels in the world in a wide variety of vehicles, will see the boxer diesel as technology worth switching for.

We must wait two or three years for this innovative diesel to be sold in the U.S., at which point it will have an automatic transmission. By then, the American appetite for oil burners might be sufficiently whetted to embrace Subaru's entries.